[“Shibamata Taishakuten” – Sculpture Temple / Tokyo]

“Shibamata Taishakuten” is a Buddhist sanctuary in Katsushika, Tokyo. It is established in 1629.
In 1996, the Ministry of the Environment assigned the sanctuary as one of the 100 soundscapes of Japan. In 2009, the sanctuary were chosen as one of the 100 landscapes of Japan (Heisei era).

From the “Tokyo Skytree” (“Oshiage Station”), you can take the “Keisei Oshiage” line to “Takasago station”. And you change at “Takasago station”, and take the “Keisei Kanamachi” line to “Shibamata station”. So you can walk to the temple from the Station in about 5 minutes.

Right of the station, you will see a statue of “Tora-san”. Shibamata is naturally known as the home of “Tora-san”, the principle character in the prevalent movies called “Otoko wa tsurai yo” (It’s Tough Being a Man).

Walking along the Taishakuten-sando which is the main road to the temple, you will find many souvenir shops, old stores and Japanese restaurants. As Shibamata is one of the remarkable old towns in Tokyo, most shops were built using traditional design. You can enjoy some Japanese dessert like the “dango” dumplings, “sembei” and the “seki tome” candy.

Taishakuten Temple is another recognizable setting of the “Tora-san” films. Past the effortless Niten-mon Gate monitored by grave towering wooden sculptures, the “Zuiryu-no-matsu” pine tree, which means “Lucky Dragon”, unravels its branches before the Taishakudo temple.

Inside the temple, you will see a garden called “Suikeien”. It is a pretty place to have a rest.
Walking inside the temple, you will see some beautiful walls. You can also find some sculpture at the top of crossbeams in the temple. The sculpture gallery is also a must-see place in the temple.